Material and embodied practices are an intrinsic part of craft and design education. This article reports a study in which textile teacher-students designed three-dimensional toys based on children’s drawings. Three students in each team worked on the given materials and designed the shape of the toy together. Materials for designing were either: 1) pen and paper, 2) masking tape and thin cardboard, or 3) wire and non-woven interfacing fabric. After the modelling phase, the final toys were created by sewing. Research data consisted of the video recordings of three design sessions representing the various design materials given to the students. By conducting multiple levels of analysis, we examined how the participants used materials and gestures to support their communication. The results highlight the strengths of 3D modelling techniques, particularly through comparison with the drawing technique undertaken by one design team. We found that simple material tools support students’ design process and suggest this could be applied to other design settings.